A Montana toddler who wandered away from his home was found safe in an old shed after two days in a rural part of the state.
NBC’s “Today” show reported that Ryker Webb, 3, was unscathed even though he was lost in an area inhabited by mountain lions and bears and despite temperatures plunging into the 40s.
What happened: The redheaded youngster walked away from his home in Troy on June 3 and was found June 5 by a family checking on their cabin. They heard noises in a log-style shed on their property.
“Today” reported that Ryker was very scared and visibly shaken. The local sheriff said the boy had left clues in the wilderness, much like a trail of bread crumbs, with overturned rocks as if he were looking for bugs.
The boy was taken to an area hospital as a precaution but has since been released.
According to the news report, an active investigation remains as to why his parents waited two hours to report him missing.
The rugged West can be both alluring to explore for children but also dangerous. Utah has had its share of cases.
Several years ago, Malachi Bradley, 10, tapped his survival skills after becoming separated from his family in the High Uintas. Although he was missing for 29 hours and cold, he was reunited with his family unharmed.
A 2007 tale with a good ending: Despite suffering some scratches and spending an entire day in the rugged wilderness, rescuers were able to reunite a 3-year-old Utah boy with his family.
In 2017, an autistic 3-year-old boy was rescued from the rugged wilderness of Australia after three days, according to a television report.
May the force be with you: A Utah Boy Scout who became separated from his troop in Wyoming’s Targhee National Forest was actually rescued by actor Harrison Ford, who lived near Jackson and is a helicopter pilot.
The teen was treated for hypothermia, but was otherwise OK. According to 2001 Deseret News report at the time, Ford joked with the boy about earning a Scouting badge for the ordeal.